


You're really kind of a freak, huh?

by spacegirl_kali



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Chara Is Not Evil, Enemies to Friends, Explicit Language, Minor Violence, Nonbinary Chara (Undertale), Nonbinary Frisk (Undertale), Other, Possession, Sans (Undertale) Remembers Resets, Soulless Frisk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2019-11-03 16:24:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17881193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacegirl_kali/pseuds/spacegirl_kali
Summary: After playing dumb through dozens of genocide runs, Sans finally breaks and tells Chara he remembers every reset. He only has one question for them... Why?And Chara doesn't have an answer.





	1. I am the ANGEL OF DEATH

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came to me while I was in the shower and I immediately had to write it. I'm not sure whether or not I'm going to finish it yet, it'll depend on if I come up with a satisfying ending or not. Anyways, I hope you enjoy Chara being a total dork and seeing what Frisk would be like soulless.

Chara stood at the entryway to the judgment hall, a small smirk of anticipation on their face. Oh, how they loved this part. It was the only reason they did Genocide Runs anymore, really. Fighting Undyne had been fun for a while but that whole "true hero" bullshit got old. No, Sans was different. He didn't fight out of any desire for good or evil. Sans fought out of spite. Sans fought because _fuck you that's why_. Chara loved that they could make him feel that angry. Sure, it took the murder of an entire society but getting that apathetic cheeseball to feel anything was a feat.

Chara snickered to themselves, remembering the first time Sans had caught them off-guard with his sparing trick. Of course, Chara was never really going to spare him, just stab him in the back once his guard was down. They thought the way he begged for Frisk to listen was pitifull. Frisk was gone after the first genocide, after they'd sold their soul to Chara. But then he murdered them. Without any ounce of remorse. With glee if anything else.

"Ok, enough stalling," Chara said to themselves. They stepped into the judgment hall. Sans was waiting in his usual spot, hands in pockets, eyes full of hate. Chara stepped forward and waited for Sans to start his monologue that they could recite by heart now.

"i don't get it."

Chara's eyes went wide with shock. "W-what?"

"why you keep doin' this. i don't get it."

"Why I keep doing... You REMEMBER?" Chara took a step back, heart in their throat.

"yeah i remember, freak. every fucking time."

"But then... Why do you always say the same thing? Why do you always DO the same thing?"

Sans shrugged. "like i've said before, i know i can't beat you. but i figured if i kept up the same schtick you'd get bored eventually. god knows i'm bored of it. but you've done this, i dunno, a hundred times by now. so i don't get it."

Chara tried to think of a response but their mind went blank. He'd known the whole time that Chara had been killing him over and over?

When Chara didn't respond, Sans kept talking. "i've racked my skull tryin' to think of why you're doin' this and what might get you to stop. i came up with nothing." He chuckled. "unless ya just like spending time with me."

Chara felt their face flush bright red. _Shit, fuck, no!_ Sans's eyelights went black.

"...what?"

"I-I, um-." Before Chara could even come up with a thought, they felt their soul turn blue as Sans slammed them against the wall.

"Y o u  s i c k  f u c k."

When something goes that badly, Chara does the only thing they know to do.

RESET.

They sat down in the patch of flowers, trying to catch their breath. Chara clutched their heart.

"Wow, that sure was something."

Chara jumped up, turning wildly at the voice.

"Who-," they started. "FRISK?"

Frisk chuckled. "In the flesh!" They held up their ghostly arms.

"Where did you come from?"

"I've been with you the whole time. Stealing someone's soul comes with a certain amount of baggage."

Chara crossed their arms. "I didn't STEAL it. You gave it to me."

"You didn't give me much of a choice."

Chara waived dismissively. "Why haven't you shown yourself before now?"

Frisk shrugged. "At first, I was mad. I didn't want to talk to you. Then after a few resets, I just got bored. Ha, guess Sans's plan would've worked on me. Anyway, I fell into a bit of a half-awake, half-asleep state. Until _that_ happened. Because that was hilarious."

"So," Chara looked at the ground, ignoring Frisk's comment on the hilarity of the situation. "Are you still mad?"

"Nah. Being soulless, I get it. It sucks. And you were stuck like this for years. I figured I'd let you ride it out for a bit, then maybe negotiate something. Ask if we could trade souls every few months. You're lucky I haven't been soulless long enough to totally lose my compassion."

"Yeah, it can take a while."

Frisk inched closer to Chara. "Seems like your's is starting to come back."

Chara stiffened, grimacing. "I am the ANGEL OF DEATH. A DEMON. How dare you-"

"A demon who's hot for Sans."

Chara's face flushed again. "That's not true! He just... caught me off-guard."

"Sans caught you off-guard... with a joke? You do know that's like his whole personality, right?"

"That's not true either!"

Frisk waggled their eyebrows. "Quick to defend him, huh?"

"You're a bitch without a soul."

"Yeah, and who's fault is that?"

"I'm not the one who did the first Genocide Run!"

"You're the one who convinced me to do it!"

"Who cares!" Chara slumped down into the flowers. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Well, you could hide out in the Ruins forever." Chara glared at Frisk, who snickered in return. "Or you could try a Pacifist Run."

"What?"

Frisk floated down next to Chara. "What Sans wants more than anything else is the pacifist ending. He doesn't care about you, he sure as hell doesn't care about me. I mean, did you ever _really_ listen to what he was saying? 'I always thought the anomaly was doing all this cause they were unhappy. And when they got what they wanted, they would stop all this. And maybe all they needed was. . . I dunno. Some good food, some bad laughs, some nice friends.' He was playing us the whole time. He only befriended us to try and stop the resets."

"Oh my god. You're right." Chara turned away to hide the tears prickling at their eyes.

"If you start a Pacifist Run," Frisk continued. "He's going to play along. He might be suspicious, but he knows he has to play the part perfectly for the happy ending to work. Sans will pretend to be your friend, he won't say shit to Papyrus, and he'll show up at the end before your big fight with Asriel. Because he knows that's how it has to happen."

"And why would I want that?" Chara tried not to sniffle. "If we go back to the surface, then..."

"Yeah, you'll lose them all forever. But Sans will forgive you, even if he never says it."

"I don't care about his forgiveness."

"Yes you do. You're crying right now."

"SHUT UP!" Chara snapped. But Frisk was gone.

They stood up, wiping the tears from their eyes, and walked through the first door. Flowey was never there anymore, he was far too cowardly to face Chara after they'd killed him. When Toriel showed up, Chara didn't even bother forcing a fake smile like they usually did. They just let Toriel give them a worried look as she guided them down the hall.

Then Chara stopped, the familiar tug of a battle on their soul. The first froggit. They had a choice to make.

*YOU WON!  
*You earned 10 XP and 20 gold.  
*Your LOVE increased.

This was all they knew.


	2. Swallowed Pride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara and Sans have a chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came to me at 2 in the morning so hopefully that means it's decent. Also, this story is kind of holding me hostage and screaming FINISH IT at me so uh, I think I'm gonna finish it. Stay tuned.

Chara stood outside the judgment hall, clutching the real knife in their hand. Half of them wanted to run in there and murder him, just to prove a point. The other half wanted to turn around and walk back to the Ruins. They knew they couldn't do either of those things. Chara glanced up at the entryway. For the first time since they ingested those buttercups, Chara really felt something. It took a second for them to register the feeling. Fear. They had never felt afraid of Sans before. The ability to reset had taken away all sense of consequence. Sure, he was intimidating during the fight. That was half the fun. But to feel afraid of Sans? That was entirely new. The knife trembled slightly in Chara's grip. Yellow light from the hall's windows shown through the entryway and onto the floor, stopping at Chara's feet. They looked at it for a moment, trying to find a shred of familiarity in the situation. They had been here a hundred times before. The light still seemed a different shade of gold.

"Ok," Chara said to themselves. "No more stalling." Taking a deep breath, they stepped into the hall.

Sans stood a few feet away, waiting. Chara had half expected him not to be there. When they stepped forward, he remained silent.

"H-hi," Chara started. Sans glanced at the knife in their hand. "Oh, um, I'm not here to do... that," Chara said as they set the knife on the ground. They hated feeling so defenseless, but they knew it was the only way Sans would listen.

"so why are you here?"

"I just wanted to talk."

"you completed a whole genocide run just to talk to me?"

"Yeah, well." Chara forced a fake smile. "I figured it was the best way to, uh, 'get you alone.' Ha ha."

Sans did not laugh. "you murdered all my friends and my only family, and you think makin' a joke will make me want to listen to ya?" His eyelights were dark now.

"Shit, uh, no, I mean." Chara took a step back. "I figured, since you know about the resets, one more Genocide Run wasn't going to make you any angrier than you already are. Which I'm assuming is pretty angry."

"yeah."

"But give me a chance to explain things to you!"

Sans's eyelights returned. "fine. you have five minutes before i blast you to hell."

"Ok, ok," Chara said as they tried to catch their breath. "So, oh god, where do I start?"

"hurry up, freak."

"Right. So, uh, my name is Chara, first of all. Not Frisk."

"you think i don't know that?"

"Ok, fair. I guess you probably know a lot more than you've let on. Um, when I died I lost my soul. For some reason, I wasn't able to move all the way on and I existed in this kind of ghostly, soulless form. I lost my sense of compassion, my ability to care about right and wrong. When Frisk fell, I made a plan to steal their soul. That was the first Genocide Run. Every time Frisk murdered someone, I grew stronger. By the end, I was able to force them to give me their soul. It made me corporeal again."

"and?"

Chara took a deep breath. "At first, I didn't feel any different. So I just kept acting like I had when I was soulless. But lately I've felt... different. I think, with Frisk's soul, I'm starting to get my compassion back."

"you really expect me to believe that after you just murdered everyone again?"

Chara shrugged. "When you can reset, it doesn't actually feel like you're hurting anyone."

"listen, freak. do you really think i care?"

Chara felt a stab of anger. "I know you don't," they snapped. "Then again, you never did."

For the first time since entering the judgment hall, the anger on Sans's face broke.

"what's that 'sposed to mean?"

Chara raised their hands defensively. "I'm not mad about it. Like, I get it. You never cared about me or Frisk, you just used us to get to the surface."

"that's not true!" Chara raised an eyebrow. Even while fighting him, they'd never heard Sans raise his voice before.

"You really expect me to believe that?" Chara echoed Sans's earlier tone.

"back in the hotel, during the pacifist run. why would i try and convince you to stay in the underground if i was trying to get to the surface?"

Chara crossed their arms. "Easy. The first time Frisk fell, you wanted to prevent them from killing Asgore. You didn't know getting to the surface was even possible, and you knew if Asgore was gone the Underground would lose hope. After the first reset, you knew you had to repeat the same speech again or risk letting Frisk know you could remember resets."

"i-," Sans started. The anger was completely gone from his expression. "you're right."

_Ok, ouch_ , Chara thought. Even though they knew they were right, the confirmation still stung.

Sans walked over to the nearest wall and slumped onto the ground, patting the floor next to him. Chara hesitated but made their way over to him, footsteps echoing on the tile. They sat in silence for a moment.

"Can I ask you a question?" Chara said.

"shoot."

"Does Papyrus remember resets, too?"

"he used to."

Chara raised an eyebrow. "He used to?"

"after a couple resets, he told me he was going to 'turn it off.' said the happiest he'd ever been was when frisk first fell. he wanted to feel that way every time, even if none of it was real."

"Could you stop remembering, too?"

"probably. papyrus was always better at swallowing his pride. i couldn't turn it off knowing someone was gettin' the better of me."

They sat in silence for another moment, a question forming on the tip of Chara's tongue.

"Did he stop remembering before or after the first Genocide Run?"

"before."

Chara let out a sigh of relief.

"you really weren't lyin' when you said your compassion was coming back, were ya?"

Chara stared at their feet. "No."

"well, uh, i dunno where to go from here."

"Me neither. Especially now that I know you'll remember everything I say. It was a lot easier when I thought I could just erase my words."

"yeah. you've said some pretty fucked up shit to me."

Chara snorted. "You said some pretty fucked up shit yourself."

Sans smiled wide and turned his eyes dark. "kids like you... SHOULD BE BURNING IN HELL."

There was a pause before the two erupted into a fit of laughter, tears forming at the edge of Chara's eyes. If things were different, if Chara hadn't eaten those flowers, it felt in that moment like the two of them might have been friends.

"god, this is a big fuckin' mess," Sans said between breaths.

"You're telling me, man."

"can't believe after all this time all it took to stop a genocidal maniac was just to accuse 'em of havin' a crush on me."

Chara flushed red again. _Oh, goddamn it._

Sans gave Chara a side-eye. "gross, kid. you're like eleven."

"That's not true!" Chara jumped to their feet.

Suddenly, they could hear Frisk's voice in their head. "Oh my god, Chara, stop."

Chara did not stop. "When I died," they said. "I kind of became the average of all my potential ages. Like, how old do I look?"

Sans rolled his eyes before actually looking at Chara. "huh," he said. "i have absolutely no clue."

"Exactly. I'm like, ageless or something. I think all ghosts are like this."

"well, forgive me for not really wantin' to date someone who murdered everyone i love like a thousand times."

Chara turned around before Sans could see their face redden again. _Man, maybe I shouldn't have made fun of Asriel for crying so much,_ they thought.

"That's not what I want either! You're lazy, apathetic, short, and you dress like a homeless man. Not really the Underground's most eligible bachelor."

"whatever ya say, freak."

"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?"

"nope."

Chara turned back around and sat down next to Sans again. "Do you still hate me?"

Sans looked at his feet. "i'm not gonna lie, i kinda do. and i sure as hell don't trust you."

Chara nodded silently.

"but i think..." He continued. "i think you can do the right thing. and i think maybe, after some time, i could forgive you."

Chara looked up at him and smiled.

"Ok."

RESET.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me on tumblr @spacegirl-kali :) I'm currently working on one other Undertale fanfic called "That Feeling... That's Me". It's been on a bit of a hiatus, but I do intend on finishing it eventually.
> 
> Let me know what you think! I've already started on chapter 3, so that should be up sometime tomorrow.


	3. Complex Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara tries their hand at a Pacifist Run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really excited about where this story is going, and I hope you are too! Thanks to everyone reading/liking/commenting on my stuff, it's so much more rewarding to work on this when I know people are enjoying it. :)

"Meow."

"You, uh, have beautiful eyes."

*Froggit didn't understand what you said, but was flattered anyway.

"God, this is ridiculous," Chara mumbled.

"You could still kill it."

Chara jumped two feet in the air at Frisk's voice. "Stop doing that!"

Frisk chuckled. "But it's fun!"

"Besides, what do you mean kill it? You were the one that suggested a Pacifist Run. This is my chance to make things right."

"Ugh, feelings really do make you stupid. Can you not see what's happening?"

Chara frowned. "What do you mean?"

Frisk bopped Chara on the head. "He's still playing you, dumbass!"

"What?" Chara took a step back. "No, he isn't. We talked!"

"Alright, whatever you say." And Frisk was gone.

The froggit still stood before Chara, blinking slowly. The familiar yellow glow of mercy filled Chara, meaning the monster was ready to be spared. Once again, Chara had a choice. They thought about what Frisk had said. Was Sans just toying with them? At this point, Chara wasn't sure if they cared. Another Genocide Run felt... wrong. It would mess any possible friendship with Sans up for good. Plus all the fun was gone now that Chara knew he'd been acting the whole time. But Frisk's words still stabbed at them. What was it Sans had said? "i couldn't turn it off knowing someone was gettin' the better of me."

Chara sighed and spared the froggit. They half expected Frisk to appear and heckle them again, but it seemed they were truly alone. Chara sat down on the floor of the Ruins and let out a few sobs before standing up and jogging after Toriel.

Frisk was strangely absent all throughout the Ruins, to the point where Chara thought maybe they'd fallen back asleep. Until the battle with Toriel began.

"Prove yourself. Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."

"Yeah, Chara, why don't you prove yourself?"

"Wha-?" Chara turned to see Frisk snickering in the corner. "Would you stay out of this?"

"What?" Asked Toriel.

"I, uh," Chara stuttered. "I said I don't want to fight you!"

Toriel still looked suspicious, but the fight continued as normal. When they reached the end, Chara spared Toriel without hesitation, fearing more interference by Frisk.

They shuffled towards the Ruin's exit, past the spot where Flowey used to harass them. Chara slightly missed his taunting. He was such a dork.

"You think that you're soooooo smart!"

"Oh my GOD FRISK! What is your issue?" Chara whirled around, fists clenched. Then they saw it. The look in Frisk's eyes. "You... You're..."

"Soulless? Yeah, we both knew that."

"It's more than that."

Then it hit them. Frisk and Chara only shared one soul between them. There was a limited amount of compassion within that soul. Chara had slowly been gaining their's back, which meant that Frisk...

"You're losing your compassion, aren't you?"

Frisk shrugged. "Figured you knew."

Chara felt tears sting at the corners of their eyes again. Having feelings truly was a pain.

"I don't want you to become what I was."

"Then give me my soul back."

Chara was taken aback by the blatant demand. They blinked slowly, thinking. "No," they said. "Not yet. After I set things right I will. I promise. You were right when you said we need to negotiate. We need to find a way to keep our compassion a little more balanced."

Frisk scoffed and disappeared again. This was going to be tricky. Chara was still figuring out how to be human again, Frisk influencing things only made that more difficult. There was only one other person they could talk to about it. Chara considered asking Sans for help for a moment, before deciding that was a horrible idea. How were they supposed to prove they were becoming a good person again that way?

Chara sighed and shuffled forward, into the cold wilderness preceding Snowdin. They wondered if Sans would play his part this time.

"hey, freak."

Apparently not.

"Aren't you worried about screwing up the Pacifist Run?" Chara asked, still facing away from Sans.

"nah. i know how much time we have before papyrus shows up."

Chara walked up to the bridge and through Papyrus's gate, not bothering to even look at Sans.

"Why _is_ this lamp here?"

"no clue. but i can see papyrus walking towards us, you should get behind it."

Chara groaned but obliged. They knew Sans would have to act this bit out with Papyrus, and now that they knew the truth the whole thing felt kind of creepy. As Chara listened to Sans tell skeleton puns to his brother they wondered if Papyrus was permanently stuck in this unknowing state, or if his memory could be jogged.

"hey freak? are ya deaf?"

Chara jumped out from behind the lamp. "Sorry, I was thinking."

"about what?"

Chara shrugged but remained quiet. They figured Sans wouldn't react very positively to Chara wondering if Papyrus could be made to remember resets again. Sans eyed them suspiciously but didn't press for information. He wouldn't trust whatever they said anyway.

"better keep moving."

"Yeah." Chara paused. "Going through the motions like this really sucks."

"you're tellin' me."

"I'm sorry."

Chara could tell their apology shocked Sans because Sans could tell that they meant it. Not that he forgave them in the slightest. Not yet.

"keep moving," Sans repeated as he turned on his heel and walked away.

Chara trudged through the snow, trying their best not to think about what came next. Toriel's fight had ended normally, but Frisk had almost gotten in their head. Sure, Chara had a bit more compassion now but that only meant Frisk had less.

They thought about the first Pacifist Run as they walked. Frisk had been so full of hope and love, not a mean bone in their body. The determination that had brought Chara back from death was positive, a force of good. Chara didn't have their own compassion but they latched on to Frisk's. When they saved the day without hurting a single monster Chara realized that maybe Asriel hadn't betrayed them back on the surface. Maybe it wasn't a kill or be killed world. Maybe there was peace for them.

But then they just had to toy with it. The curiosity of a soulless being was a dangerous thing. Especially one with the power to manipulate timelines. If they screwed it up, they could always just go back. Frisk liked to act like Chara had pulled all the strings, made them kill. That wasn't true. Both of them wanted to try. Chara was just strong enough to finish the job.

"HUMAN. ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS."

Chara took a deep breath. _Ok_ , they thought. _Don't screw this up._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 might take a tiny bit longer to come out, but I'll try and post it as soon as I'm happy with it. My tumblr is @spacegirl-kali if you want to give me a follow!


	4. Mercy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara has to make a decision about Papyrus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick 'lil warning: this chapter gets somewhat violent. Nothing crazy, but some pretty fucked up threats are made.

"WELL...! 'HUFF' IT'S CLEAR... YOU CAN'T! 'HUFF' DEFEAT ME!!! YEAH!!! I CAN SEE YOU SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS!!! THEREFORE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, ELECT TO GRANT YOU PITY!! I WILL SPARE YOU, HUMAN!!! NOW'S YOUR CHANCE TO ACCEPT MY MERCY."

_*Papyrus is sparing you._

Chara picked themselves up off the snow. They hadn't had to fight Papyrus like that in a long time and despite his attacks being quite similar to Sans's, Chara struggled. They had Sans's attacks memorized down to each individual bone. The way Sans attacked was incalculable, his movements were wild and erratic. Papyrus fought differently. He was more deliberate and careful. Chara wasn't used to that.

"Thank you, Papyrus," Chara said as they once more felt that familiar yellow glow. Papyrus gave them a beaming smile. The kind of smile that made Chara feel extra guilty.

"Um, Papyrus?"

"WHAT IS IT, HUMAN?"

_This is a super bad idea_ , Chara thought. _Do not say what you're about to say._

"Well... I was just wondering if... If you..." Chara choked on their words. Papyrus came forward and swept them up in a hug.

"WHAT'S WRONG, HUMAN? NOW THAT WE ARE FRIENDS, YOU CAN TELL ME ANYTHING."

Chara choked back a sob. How could they have ever hurt such a pure soul?

"Do you remember me?"

"DO I REMEMBER--" Papyrus furrowed his browbone in confusion. "DO I REMEMBER YOU?"

"It's me, Papyrus. It's Chara."

"CHARA." Papyrus looked like he'd been hypnotized.

"Do you remember me?" Chara repeated.

Suddenly, Papyrus's eyes went wide with shock and he pushed Chara to the ground.

"YOU." His face was twisted with pain, anger, disbelief. "YOU HURT PEOPLE."

"Papyrus I--"

"YOU KILLED ME."

Chara tried to speak but the words caught in their throat. They'd never seen Papyrus like this. Papyrus, the person who had offered to mentor Chara after they'd murdered countless monsters, now looked murderous himself. Every Genocide Run Chara completed was reflected in the black slits of his eyes. He took a step back, hands trembling.

"YOU KILLED EVERYONE, DIDN'T YOU?"

"I did but... But not anymore!" Chara spat out. Hot tears ran down their face. "I'm- I'm better now!"

The expression on Papyrus's face did not change. He looked disgusted. He knew what Chara had done to him, to his brother, to everyone he cared about. He knew. And now Chara couldn't take it back.

"I didn't want to remember," Papyrus said, his voice barely a whisper.

That was the final straw. Chara couldn't take the pain on his face anymore. They struck quickly and cleanly, a hard blow to the head. Papyrus collapsed in a silent pile of dust. Chara knelt down next to the remains, shoulders shaking with sobs.

"Holy. Fuck. That was AMAZING!"

Chara didn't jump at the sound of Frisk's voice this time. They remained kneeling next to what was left of Papyrus.

"Man, I was watching that whole thing thinking 'how can I fuck with them?' But then you did THAT!" They laughed. "I couldn't have planned anything better."

"Would you just shut up and go away?" Chara growled.

"This is quite the situation you've gotten yourself into," Frisk continued, ignoring Chara's comment. "Sans is going to know if you reload, and he's going to wonder why. If that would even fix anything. Its likely Papyrus will remember this, even with a reset."

"I know."

"I mean, what was even going through your head?" Frisk snickered. "Why would you sabotage yourself like that?"

"Because I felt bad."

Frisk blinked, not laughing anymore. "You felt bad... about what?"

"That he didn't know. Everything felt so creepy when he didn't know."

"So you think this is better?"

"I don't know. Maybe." Chara stood up. "I'm going to reload to now. To just before the battle. I'd appreciate it if you weren't around." When Chara turned around, Frisk was gone. Good.

Chara closed their eyes and focused on the weak point outside the Snowdin Inn. They found that there were certain areas where the fabric of time was thinner, where it was easier for them to poke through. When they opened their eyes again they caught the smallest glimpse of golden sparkles fading away around them, the sign of a successful reload.

As they made their way through the Snowdin tunnel system shortcut they tried to think of what to say to Papyrus. He was going to remember what had happened. Chara was sure of that.

They didn't have enough time to think of much, Chara could already see Papyrus standing in the fog when they emerged from the tunnels. This time he didn't lead with his usual pre-battle dialogue. Instead, Papyrus was silent.

"H-hi Papyrus," Chara started. "Um, I'm assuming you're quiet because you remember what happened."

"YES."

Chara had expected him to sound angry, but his voice sounded strained if anything.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions for me."

"I DO. QUESTION NUMBER ONE. ARE YOU GOING TO KILL ME AGAIN?"

Chara put their hands up and took a step back. "N-no. I promise."

"OK. LET'S GO TO MY HOUSE AND TALK."

Chara swallowed and nodded, turning to follow Papyrus as he marched past them. They had to jog to keep up with his long strides.

"Um," Chara said as they made their way through the snow. "Do you know if Sans is home?"

"HE'S MOST LIKELY IN HIS ROOM. WHY?"

"He, uh, knows too. About the resets and the... other stuff."

Papyrus stopped in his tracks. "SANS KNOWS?"

"Yes."

Papyrus shook his head, looking disappointed. He started walking again. "I WAS HOPING HE WOULD FOLLOW IN MY FOOTSTEPS. WELL, WE SHOULD INCLUDE HIM IN THIS CONVERSATION."

Chara didn't say anything as they jogged back up next to Papyrus, a pit of dread forming in their stomach. As the two approached Sans and Papyrus's house, Chara could see a short figure standing on the doorstep, hands in pockets. He must have noticed the reload.

Chara stopped and put a hand out in front of Papyrus. "Can I talk to him alone first? I have a feeling he might not be too happy with me right now."

Papyrus nodded. "I UNDERSTAND. IF YOU NEED ME TO CALM HIM DOWN AT ANY POINT JUST LET ME KNOW."

Chara nodded back and continued forward. Sans stood silently in front of the house, expressionless. As Chara approached him, the dread in their stomach began to change. What did they really have to be sorry for? For doing something Sans should have done a long time ago? For trying to be honest with Papyrus? No, what Chara felt was not dread.

"inside," Sans growled. Chara followed him in without a word. "now listen here, freak-"

"No."

"i'm sorry, what?" His voice was filled with the same posion from the judgment hall.

"YOU listen to ME." Chara felt their face flush again. This time it wasn't from embarrassment. "I don't give a flying fuck about whatever lecture you had prepared for me this time. I'm sick of this stupid act. I'm done playing your goddamn game."

"you really wanna get on my bad side right now?"

"I'm already on your fucking bad side!" It felt good for Chara to yell.

"and whose fault is that? whose fault is any of this?"

"YOU THINK I'M NOT AWARE?" Chara shouted. "FUCK this, man. Fuck this whole thing. If we're gonna do this, we're playing by MY rules."

"we've been playing by your rules," Sans spat. He took a step towards Chara. "since the very first time you killed us all."

Chara didn't back down at Sans's jab. "Well guess what? New rule! Papyrus gets to know!"

Sans grabbed Chara by the throat with both hands, phalanges digging into flesh. He yanked them close, forcing them to look into his eye sockets.

"i don't fuckin' like that rule."

Chara stared right back at him, refusing to break composure.

"So what are you going to do about it?" They snarled.

Sans's grip around their throat tightened and Chara made a guttural noise in response. They knew they could yell for Papyrus but didn't want to give Sans the satisfaction. Instead, they braced their feet on the ground and shoved Sans with all of their strength. It startled him enough to loosen his hold on Chara's throat. They fell to the floor and rolled away to safety.

Sans wasn't done. Something about Chara's attitude broke him, sent him back to a blind rage. The cruel version of himself reserved only for the Genocide Runs had been so corrupted, so misused that he couldn't tell it apart from the person he used to be. It was part of him now. Chara had made him that way.

He reached down and grabbed Chara by the collar of their shirt before socking them square in the face, sending them right back down to the floor with a thud.

Chara spat blood out onto the carpet. "You really think that's a good idea, Sans?" They asked hoarsely. "I think you're forgetting which one of us is stronger."

"what're ya gonna do? dust me with my own brother standing right outside?"

"Maybe." Chara stood up facing Sans, blood dripping down their chin. "And then maybe I'll reset. Maybe I'll slit Toriel's throat, maybe I'll grind your brother into dust. Maybe I'll go for you first this time, tear your limbs off and make you watch as I destroy everything you care about. I could do it over and over and over again. I could turn this world into your personal, eternal hell if I felt like it. You're forgetting whose decision this was, Sans. You're alive right now on MY mercy."

"you're sick." The anger had drained from Sans's voice.

Chara didn't say anything in response. They knew the fight was over now. The two simply stared at each other for a moment until Sans sighed and made his way over to the door.

"paps," he called outside. "come chat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned out a tiny bit longer than the previous ones, and I think I like the length a lot more so look out for some longer chapters in the future! Unfortunately, I expect chapter 5 will probably take more than a day to come out, so be patient with me :)
> 
> Follow me on tumblr! @spacegirl-kali


	5. Good Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus and Chara have a chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long to post! Between exams and spring break I haven't had a ton of time to write but hopefully I can start posting more frequently again.

GENOCIDE RUN #4

"Y... you... really hate me that much? Now I see who I was protecting by keeping you here. Not you... But them! Ha... ha..."

Chara didn't even wait for Toriel to dust before they pushed past her, a victory smile on their face.

"He was right about you... Chara."

"What?" Chara whirled around at the sound of Toriel's voice but saw only a pile of dust.

"Alright, Chara," they said to themselves. "Stop freaking yourself out."

They made their way out of the Ruins and through Snowdin without issue, but couldn't shake the feeling that something was out of the ordinary. Sans threatened them as usual, but Papyrus seemed more jittery than normal. Chara tried to ignore the feeling and decided that it was probably just a side effect of becoming corporeal again.

Papyrus gave his little speech pleading for Chara to do the right thing, and they sliced his head off without thinking twice.

"Chara."

Chara felt cold. Papyrus had spoken their name. There was no way that this was in their head.

"That's your name, right? You were their child, the human the king and queen adopted. I've heard you used to be good. You can be good again, Chara. I believe in you." And he was gone.

Chara didn't move an inch, they just stood staring at Papyrus's dust. The cold feeling within them turned to hot rage. There was only one person who could have done this.

"Where the fuck are you? You stupid weed, I'll fucking tear you apart!" Chara screamed at the Underground's stone ceiling.

It was silent for a moment, then there was a voice.

"Please... stop doing this."

Chara turned towards the voice, only to find whoever it belonged to was already gone.

"This isn't fun anymore," the same voice said from behind them.

"So what, you're warning them about me?" Chara said as hot tears ran down their cheek. "Telling them my name, like that'll make me stop?"

No response but a distant rustling of leaves as Flowey ran away.

PACIFIST RUN #2 (PRESENT TIMELINE)

"Could I possibly... speak to Papyrus alone for a moment?" Chara sat on the couch in Sans and Papyrus's living room, a brother seated on either side of them. They had just finished rehashing the events leading up to Chara's confrontation with Papyrus. Chara could tell Papyrus hated hearing about their endless battles with his brother but they felt he needed to know everything. When they finally finished Papyrus sat in silence, staring at his feet, while Sans's eyes bore into Chara's skull.

"you really think i'm that stupid, kid?"

Chara kept their head down, ignoring Sans's glare. "I just think... him and I have more to discuss than you might expect."

To Sans's surprise, Papyrus nodded. Sans huffed and shook his head at his brother before retreating into his room. Papyrus waited until the door was shut before speaking.

"YOU TWO FOUGHT, I SEE."

"How do you know that?"

"THERE IS BLOOD ON THE CARPET. ALSO, THIS HOUSE HAS WINDOWS."

Chara scooted over on the couch, taking Sans's empty seat. "Right. Sorry about that."

Papyrus shrugged but said nothing more on the matter. He must have realized by now that fighting each other came as easy as breathing to Sans and Chara.

"So," Chara continued. "You remember ALL the resets now, right?"

"CORRECT."

"Including the Pacifist Run with Frisk?"

"...YES."

"Then... you remember him." A sob started to rise up in Chara's throat, but they pushed it back. "You know who he really is."

"IF YOU'RE REFERRING TO FLOWEY, THEN YES I DO."

"Do NOT call him that!" Chara snapped. "His name is Asriel."

"ASRIEL IS DEAD, CHARA."

Papyrus's voice was so deadpan that it shocked Chara into silence. They opened their mouth to speak, but no words would come out. They knew he was right.

"I HAVE NOT SEEN FLOWEY IN A FEW RESETS NOW," Papyrus continued. "I'M NOT SURE WHERE HE IS OR WHY HE STOPPED TALKING TO ME."

Chara nodded sadly. "He's afraid of me. I thought maybe after starting a Pacifist Run he would come back..."

"YOU'VE HURT A LOT OF PEOPLE A LOT OF TIMES, CHARA."

"You don't think I know that?"

"HE'LL COME BACK. YOU'RE THE ONLY THING HE STILL HAS AN ATTACHMENT TO."

"Did he tell you that?"

"NO. I'M SURPRISINGLY GOOD AT READING PEOPLE. AND FLOWERS."

Chara chuckled.

"FOR EXAMPLE, YOU." Papyrus smiled softly. "I TOLD YOU YOU COULD BE GOOD AGAIN."

Chara returned Papyrus's smile, looking him in the eyes for the first time since they started talking. "Do you think I'm good?"

"I THINK YOU CAN BE, EVEN MORE THAN I THOUGHT BEFORE. YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH."

"Thanks, Papyrus." Chara paused. "When's the last time you saw him?"

Papyrus cocked his head to the side, thinking. "I BELIEVE IT WAS AFTER THE 5TH MURDER RESET THAT HE STOPPED SHOWING UP."

"Is he... Does he seem ok?" Chara's voice cracked slightly.

"HE HAD BEEN IN GOOD SPIRITS UP UNTIL HE REALIZED YOU WEREN'T GOING TO STOP. AFTER THAT, HE BECAME EVEN MORE JADED AND CYNICAL THAN BEFORE. EVENTUALLY, HE JUST GAVE UP ENTIRELY. FLOWEY NEVER LOST HIS 'KILL OR BE KILLED' ATTITUDE BUT I THINK HE ACCEPTED THAT NO MATTER WHAT, HE WAS ALWAYS GOING TO 'BE KILLED.'"

"That's... terrible," said Chara. Papyrus nodded. They sat in silence for a moment.

"SHOULD WE CALL SANS BACK IN?"

"Yeah, I just didn't want to freak him out with all the talk about... him." They paused. "I mean, I didn't want to freak him out more than I already have."

Papyrus smiled and placed a gloved hand on Chara's shoulder. "SANS! COME BACK DOWN HERE!"

Sans appeared on the couch in between Chara and Papyrus, making Chara yelp in surprise.

"DID YOU REALLY NEED TO TELEPORT FOR THAT? YOUR ROOM IS 3 FEET AWAY," Papyrus griped.

"eh. don't like usin' the stairs." He winked at his brother. "so, what's the verdict?"

"VERDICT?"

"yeah. whadda we do now?"

"I think," Chara said. "That I just finish the Pacifist Run as normal and we figure out the rest on the surface."

"heh. for once i agree with ya, freak."

 _Well, he seems in a better mood,_ thought Chara.

Sans glanced over at Papyrus. "you ok with acting the rest of this out, bro?"

Papyrus hopped up off the couch with renewed energy. "YES! IN FACT, I BETTER GO MEET UNDYNE BEFORE SHE GETS TOO WORRIED ABOUT ME! I'LL SEE YOU IN WATERFALL, HUMAN!" He bolted towards the door, pausing before he left. "AND NO MORE FIGHTING."

"alright. no more fighting. promise."

Papyrus nodded happily before slamming the door behind him.

"So what changed?" Chara asked Sans once they were alone. "You were all huffy when you went into your room."

Sans rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "i won't lie, i teleported behind the tv as soon as i closed the door."

"It's really great that you're finally starting to trust me."

"hey, can ya blame me for not wanting to give you the benefit of the doubt?"

Chara rolled their eyes but didn't press the issue. "What did I say that changed your mood?"

"nothin'. it's what papyrus said. he truly thinks you can be good again."

Another lump rose up in Chara's throat but they kept a straight face. They looked into Sans's eyes and for the first time, they didn't see contempt in those white pinprick lights. For the first time they saw what looked like hope.

"Do... do you think I can be good again?"

Sans stood up and offered a hand to Chara. "dunno. but i trust papyrus's judgment more than my own."

Chara took Sans's hand, a silent truce formed between them.

"let's get ya to waterfall, freak."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr! @spacegirl-kali


	6. Abandoned (Quiche)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara gets stuck at the bridge seed puzzle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's ready for some ANGST?

"God fucking damn it!"

_Ding._

Frisk watched as Chara struggled with the bridge seed puzzle, unseen. They had been attempting it for close to thirty minutes now. Frisk snickered to themselves, it had only taken them three or four attempts to get it on their Pacifist Run.

For a brief moment, Frisk considered helping Chara. Despite their desire to see Chara fail, there was still a small part of them that longed for companionship. Being incorporeal was awfully lonely. Frisk wondered if this is why Chara had helped them on the first Pacifist Run, to ease their boredom. But their wish for comradery was fleeting and Frisk was back to enjoying Chara's failures before even ten seconds had passed.

Chara stacked the seeds in the water again. One, two, three...

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?"

_Ding._

"You tried that one already."

Chara jolted at the sound of Frisk's voice.

"I haven't seen you in a while," grumbled Chara. "I thought maybe I finally ditched you."

Frisk chuckled. "No such luck, I'm afraid. It's not like I have anywhere to go."

Chara rolled their eyes and went back to trying the puzzle.

"I don't suppose you're going to tell me how to do this?" They asked.

Frisk was silent for a moment. Again, the little speck of compassion left within Frisk twittered at them. It was fading faster with each hour Chara had the soul but for now, it was enough.

"You keep arranging them horizontally, you have to put them vertically."

Chara looked up at Frisk in surprise and Frisk crossed their arms and shrugged. Turning their attention back to the puzzle, Chara started to line up the bridge seeds vertically in the water. One, two, three, four...

"You weren't lying," Chara said as the seeds blossomed. "Why are you being nice all of a sudden?"

"Eh. Got annoyed watching you agonize over this. It'll be WAY more fun watching Undyne kick your ass."

Chara grinned. "You think I'm afraid of her? You're forgetting I've defeated Undyne the Undying HUNDREDS of times." They started to cross the bridge seeds.

"Hey... Wait," said Frisk. "If you go back to that little pool over there, you can make another bridge."

Chara stopped in their tracks, vaguely remembering Frisk doing the same thing on their Pacifist Run. It was either a secret or a trap.

"What's over there again?"

"You'll see."

Chara was skeptical but followed Frisk's advice. To their surprise, the four bridge seeds lead to a little room with a bench and an echo flower. Chara sat down on the bench for a moment, soaking up the brief moment of silence. The crystals on the walls glittered and reflected off of the water, giving the whole room a disco ball effect. Chara turned their attention the echo flower, giving it a small poke.

_I just wasn't ready for the responsibility._

"Heh," said Chara. "Me neither."

They peaked underneath the bench and retrieved the abandoned quiche. They had half expected this to be some sort of set up but it seemed Frisk had helped them out for a second time. When they returned from the secret room, Frisk was gone. Chara glanced down at the healing item in their hands.

"Even soulless, you're still a better person than me." Chara sighed and marched on. "If I can be good again, so can you, Frisk."

They couldn't see them, but Chara knew Frisk was listening.

When they exited the bridge seed room, Chara half expected Papyrus to call them. But their phone stayed silent. It made Chara a little sad that they couldn't have a fresh start with the brothers, couldn't experience things the way Frisk got to.

 _At least I still get to see this,_ thought Chara.

The wishing room glowed all around them, crystals glittering the same cyan of the echo flowers. It captivated Chara's attention, briefly making them forget that this was the place they were trying to leave. They sat down on the ground, poking the nearest flower.

_I wish my sister and I will see the real stars someday..._

Something caught in Chara's throat. "You will," they squeaked out.

_You will, you will, you will._

The words echoed around the room, the sound of one echo flower triggering the next.

Chara felt a tug in their soul, then a sharp snap.

"Ow!" They yelped. The felt a burning deep within them, growing more painful every second. They slouched over to one side, lying on the dirt floor. Chara started to yell in pain, tears welling up in the corners of their eyes.

Then everything went white.

"Can you hear me? We want you to wake up..."

"You have to stay determined! You can't give up!"

"I... I... ... no, I said... I said I'd never doubt you."

"what're ya doin', freak? ...chara?"

Chara's eyes shot open to a very concerned looking Sans standing over them. They sat up and wiped the tears from their face.

"I... What happened?"

Sans sat down on the ground to Chara's left. "was about to ask you the same thing."

The pain from their soul had mostly faded, leaving only a subtle aching throughout their body.

"My soul... Something happened to it."

The concern on Sans's face grew more intense, and he turned to face Chara dead on.

 _* Check_  
_* Chara Dreemurr - ATK: 10 DEF: 10_  
_* Filled with determination..._  
_* ...and love._

"i think whatever process you were going through just finished."

"Process?" Then it hit Chara. Frisk's soul. It no longer belonged to Frisk. It now belonged to Chara. "My soul..." They clutched their chest. "I have my compassion back. All the way."

Sans nodded. "that's what i was thinking, too."

Chara felt tears well up behind their eyes again. "Frisk..."

"they're gone."

Chara looked up at Sans in surprise but didn't speak. He was staring at the ground, expression blank.

"they've been gone this whole time, right?" he continued. "you stole their soul. 's not like this changes anything."

"Right, Chara?" Asked a voice.

Chara squeezed their eyes shut, unable to look at Frisk, who had just materialized to their right.

"Go ahead, Chara," Frisk goaded. "Tell him I'm dead. Lie and say I'm gone. Abandon me in this dark abyss. Leave this place with my existence on your conscious."

If Chara had thought Frisk was bitter before, this was a whole new level. Their voice dripped with unbridled hate. They were empty, there was nothing left.

"Come on, Chara. Fuck me over one last time."

"NO!" Chara covered their ears with their hands.

"...what did you say?"

Chara looked at Sans through clouded eyes.

"I... I said no." They took a deep breath. "Frisk isn't gone. They've been with me the whole time. Following me, talking to me."

 _They're sitting next to me right now,_ Chara thought. But when they turned to the right, Frisk was gone again. They looked back over at Sans, whose expression changed from shock to horror to cold rage.

"so what i'm gathering here is that you could have returned their soul at any time?"

Chara paused. "I... Yes."

"and you didn't tell me because you knew I would never forgive you. for taking away my best friend."

_Your best friend._

"Sans I... I lost my best friend, too. I know how bad it hurts. I was planning on telling you and Papyrus about Frisk but only after I figured out what to do!"

"you died a long time ago, freak. shoulda stayed dead."

"Sans, I'm so sorry."

Sans could tell that Chara meant it, but he no longer cared. Their kindness and compassion never belonged to them.

"you act just like them, you and your stolen soul."

He stood up, turning away from Chara.

"you're on your own now, freak."

And he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Tumblr! @spacegirl-kali


	7. The Wishing Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara has to work out what to do next, with a little help.

Chara laid in the dirt of the wishing room, listening to the sound of their own sobs echo between the walls. How could they have been so stupid? To think the Sans would ever forgive them for what they did to Frisk, regardless if they were still here or not. Chara took his best friend from him, from Papyrus, from everyone. A Pacifist Run was a band-aid; they couldn't return the feeling they must have had standing on the mountain top together. They couldn't return the love they all had for Frisk. No, this run was tainted. Every monster Chara spared had at one point been dust at their feet.

"God, you're dramatic." Frisk had returned once more, leaning up against the wall. "What did you expect to happen? Even if you had finished the whole Pacifist Run without them knowing about me, they were bound to turn against you the second they found out."

"I just thought," Chara choked out. "I thought I could fix it all."

"You can," said Frisk, suddenly eager. "I know a way to make them forgive you."

Chara glanced up, rubbing the tears from their eyes. Frisk knelt down next to them, taking Chara's face in their hands. It felt warm, like flesh on flesh. For a moment, Chara almost believed Frisk was corporeal kneeling in front of them. A real human sibling, a new best friend. Frisk smiled, attempting to look sympathetic. Chara knew better. They knew exactly what was behind those eyes, nothing but hate and anger.

"No, you don't," Chara said firmly.

Frisk tugged Chara closer to them, their voice almost a whisper. "Chara. They'll forgive you if you give me back my soul."

Chara shoved Frisk off of them, standing up. "No, they won't."

"Do you really not get it? You're BAD at this, Chara! This is MY job," Frisk shouted. "I am The Angel, not you! I am The One Who Has Seen The Surface!"

"'They will return,'" said Chara. "'And the Underground will go empty.' I know the prophecy too, dumbass. It could be about either of us. But it isn't true, and it doesn't fucking matter who its about. You and I... we reset and reset and reset. The Underground will never go empty as long as we're around."

"That can change," Frisk pleaded. "We can make a promise this time!"

"You're wrong!" Chara yelled, their voice cracking. "Something will happen. We'll all be dragged back down here." They sat back down on the ground, anger fading. "There's no way out of this God forsaken place."

Frisk crossed their arms, fuming.

"You know what I think about sometimes?" Chara continued. "I think it's supposed to be this way. The humans knew their barrier couldn't hold the monsters forever, so they created some sort of paradox to keep us all trapped here."

Frisk scoffed. "That's insane."

Chara shrugged. "Is it any more insane than anything else that's happened?"

"I... guess not."

"Frisk, let me ask you something," Chara said. "You stayed with Toriel after your Pacifist Run. Why?"

"I, uh..." Frisk scrunched up their forehead, thinking. "She's a good person. She made a good mom."

Chara leaned in closer to Frisk. "But what about YOUR mom?" They asked, an intensity to their voice. "Who was your family? Where did you come from? How did you get to Mt. Ebott?"

Frisk's face went white. "I," they stuttered. "I have no clue."

Chara nodded. "Exactly. Me neither. Every time I try to think about before the Underground, it just makes my head spin. At first, I thought it was just trauma from the fall, that I hit my head or something. After I died I realized there's something else blocking my memory."

"Are we real?" Frisk asked.

"Does it matter?"

"HUMAN!" Chara jumped at the volume of Papyrus's voice and Frisk disappeared. "I MUST SPEAK WITH YOU!"

 _Oh no,_ thought Chara. Telling Sans about Frisk was hard enough but breaking Papyrus's heart was going to be brutal.

"Uh, ok," Chara said, trying to sound inconspicuous. "What's up?"

"IT'S ABOUT UNDYNE. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO GET HER TO REMEMBER, TOO," he said with a smile.

"Papyrus, that's a terrible idea. She'll kill me."

"BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER, RIGHT?" Papyrus asked, getting more excited with each word. "YOU CAN JUST KEEP COMING BACK UNTIL SHE REALIZES FIGHTING YOU IS TOTALLY USELESS!"

 _Yeesh,_ thought Chara. _That's a little dark._ "Papyrus... Do you remember how you felt when you found out who I was? What I did to everyone?"

Papyrus nodded. "YES! I FELT SAD AND AWFUL!"

"Do you think if Undyne felt that way, she could ever forgive me? Even if I kept coming back?"

Papyrus paused. "YES. I DO. I KNOW YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, BUT I KNOW UNDYNE BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE. EXPLAIN TO HER WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU. SHE'LL UNDERSTAND THAT NONE OF THIS WAS YOUR FAULT."

None of this was your fault? He had to be kidding. All of this was Chara's fault. Sans knew it, Frisk knew it, and Chara knew it.

"Papyrus," Chara started. "This is my fault."

"BUT YOU WERE SOULLESS! YOU HAD NO CONTROL!"

Chara sat back down, motioning for Papyrus to sit down next to them.

"Being soulless doesn't make you evil," Chara continued. "Nothing compelled me to kill those monsters. I had control. I killed everyone because I was curious, not because I was evil. It was out of boredom."

To Chara's surprise, Papyrus smiled. "AH, HUMAN. YOU ARE RIGHT AND YOU ARE WRONG. LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION. HOW LONG WERE YOU TRAPPED DOWN HERE SOULLESS BEFORE YOU STARTED KILLING PEOPLE?"

"I, um, have no idea honestly. It felt like an eternity. By the time Frisk fell down, I was just desperate for _something_ to happen."

Papyrus nodded. "THAT KIND OF BOREDOM WOULD DRIVE ANYONE INSANE."

Chara shook their head in disbelief. "I don't understand you, Papyrus. Sans hates me right now for everything I've done. Why are you being so damn nice to me?"

Papyrus placed a hand on Chara's knee. "BECAUSE I HAVE TO BE. THE UNDERGROUND WAS A SAD, SAD PLACE. I WATCHED MY BROTHER FALL INTO A DEPRESSION BECAUSE OF IT. ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE TOTALLY HOPELESS BEFORE FRISK CAME. SOMEONE HAD TO PICK EVERYONE UP OFF THE GROUND, AND THAT SOMEONE WAS ME. I'VE TAUGHT MYSELF TO SEE THE POSITIVE IN EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING, EVEN WHEN OTHER PEOPLE CAN'T."

"Papyrus, you..." Chara smiled as they felt a few more tears drip down their cheek. "You're a really cool dude."

"I KNOW!" Papyrus jumped up with renewed energy and offered Chara a hand. "NOW YOU BETTER GET MOVING. WE NEED TO GET TO THE SURFACE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AND HELP FRISK!"

"Hell yeah! Wait," Chara blinked in confusion. "WHAT did you just say?"

"I SAID 'WE NEED TO GET TO THE SURFACE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AND HELP FRISK!'"

"You KNOW about Frisk!? Did Sans tell you?"

"OF COURSE I DO! AND NO, HE DID NOT."

"So then how the hell do you know that Frisk is still around?"

Papyrus cocked his head to one side. "IF YOU WERE AROUND WHEN FRISK HAD THE HUMAN SOUL, IT'S ONLY LOGICAL THAT FRISK WOULD STILL BE HERE NOW THAT YOU HAVE IT. I ASSUMED THAT WAS COMMON SENSE."

Chara chuckled softly, then burst out laughing. "Papyrus," they said between breaths. "You're a hell of a lot smarter than people give you credit for."

"I KNOW," he said as he gave Chara a pat on the shoulder. "NOW GET MOVING! I'LL SEE YOU AT UNDYNE'S HOUSE."

Papyrus took off sprinting, and Chara finally left the wishing room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr! @spacegirl-kali


	8. Eat a Mushroom Every Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara faces off with Undyne.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU PUNK!"

"I'LL STOP RUNNING IF YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME!"

A spear whizzed past Chara's head, nearly knocking them to the ground. They sprinted through the corridor to Hotland, weaving back and forth to try and throw Undyne off their trail. This was Chara's third attempt at getting her to remember previous resets, as the previous two tries had resulted in Chara's death.

"LIKE HELL I'LL LISTEN TO YOU, HUMAN!"

Another spear flew past, this time nicking Chara in the arm. They yelled and fell face first onto the ground. When they looked up, Undyne stood menacingly over them with her spear pointed at their throat.

"W-wait," Chara pleaded.

"Any last words, human?" Undyne growled.

"Yes!" _Think, Chara think!_ "Um, my favorite tea."

Undyne pulled her spear back slightly. "...What?"

"My, uh, favorite tea. It's golden flower tea. Just like Asgore."

Undyne took a step back in surprise. _Yes,_ thought Chara. _Keep going._

"Oh! Also, how is Dr. Alphys?" Chara continued, more confident now. "I, um, was going to ask her if she wanted to watch an anime once I reached the Hotland lab."

"How the fuck...?" For a moment, Undyne seemed like she might be starting to remember something.

"Undyne, do you remember the other human?" Chara said quickly, taking advantage of the moment. "Their name was Frisk. You saw the surface with them. I'm trying to get everyone up there again, but you have to listen to me." Chara met Undyne's eyes, trying to convey their honesty.

"The surface..." Undyne shook her head, breaking the trance she had been in. "Yeah, right! I don't know how you know all that stuff about my friends and frankly, I don't care. However, I DO know that I've never seen the surface before." She pointed her spear at Chara's throat again. "But I will soon."

GAME OVER

"Ugh!" Said Chara as they respawned at their last save point. "Why is it so difficult with her? It took Papyrus like twenty seconds to remember."

They looked around, half expecting Frisk to materialize. It had been a while since the last time they'd spoken. In fact, Chara hadn't seen Frisk since they tried to trick them into giving up their soul.

"Hey," Chara said to the ceiling. "Frisk, I know you can hear me. I don't know what you're thinking right now, but I really do want to help you. We just need to get out of here first. We can figure everything else out on the surface. So, please, if there's any way you can help me through this..."

_...But nobody came._

"Fuck," Chara whispered under their breath. They knew they needed to take a different approach with Undyne. Chara pulled out their phone and dialed Papyrus.

"HELLO?"

"Hey Papyrus, it's Chara. Things aren't going so well with Undyne."

"I NOTICED! YOU'VE BEEN RESETTING QUITE A BIT, I ASSUME DUE TO REPEATED FAILURE. HOW CAN I HELP?"

"I was thinking I'll just beat Undyne the normal way and then we can both talk to her at her house. She won't listen to me but I know she trusts you."

"HMMM... THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA. SEE YOU SOON, HUMAN!"

_Click._

Thankfully, defeating Undyne the regular Pacifist Run way proved to be no challenge to Chara. They even caught themselves smiling as they sprinted away from Waterfall towards Hotland. That is until they saw Sans. He was seated at his normal Hotland post sleeping, or at least pretending to sleep. It took every ounce of mental strength Chara had not to stop and talk to him, tell him how sorry they were and that they wanted to make everything right. But they kept running, turning back only to see Undyne stop and scold Sans for sleeping on the job. When Chara returned to his post after sparing Undyne, he was gone.

"Oh, so now we're sticking to the script," Chara mumbled to themselves.

They walked down the path leading to the River Person, approaching the little raft.

"Tra la la. I am the riverman," said the River Person. "Or am I the riverwoman...? It doesn't really matter. I love to ride in my boat. Would you care to join me?"

"Yes," Chara replied.

"Where shall we go today?"

"Waterfall, please."

"Then we're off."

The River Person was strangely silent during the trip over to Waterfall, making Chara slightly nervous. The River Person always offered some sort of wisdom or...

"Tra la la... Eat a mushroom every day."

_Ah, there it is._

They arrived at Waterfall and Chara bid the River Person farewell before hopping off the boat.

"Tra la la... Beware the ones who came from the surface world."

"What?" Asked Chara. When they turned back around, the River Person was already floating away. "Ok... Pretty sure that one was new."

They shook off the eerie feeling that had crept over them, chalking it up to anxiety, and continued towards Undyne's house. When they arrived, Papyrus was waiting for them with his usual peppy smile.

"HELLO, HUMAN! ARE YOU READY TO HANG OUT?"

Chara chuckled. "Yes, Papyrus."

He pivoted around towards the door and gave it a quick knock. The teeth of the doorway parted, revealing a casual-looking Undyne.

"Hey, Papyrus!" She started.

"UNDYNE," he cut her off, voice suddenly serious. "I NEED TO SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT SOMETHING VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. THE HUMAN IS WITH ME," he gestured behind him towards Chara. Undyne's eyes widened and she shot an angry look at Papyrus. "BEFORE YOU SAY ANYTHING, I PROMISE YOU THERE IS A GOOD REASON FOR ALL OF THIS. MAY WE COME IN?"

Undyne recognized Papyrus's sober tone and nodded wordlessly. Chara and Papyrus entered the house and the three of them stood awkwardly in the center of the room.

"So, uh," said Undyne. "What exactly is going on here?"

Papyrus looked over at Chara. "CHARA," he said. "I THINK YOU CAN EXPLAIN BEST."

"Yeah, uh," Chara moved closer to Undyne and extended a hand. "My name is Chara. This is not the first time we've met."

"Well, duh," said Undyne as she reluctantly returned Chara's handshake.

"No," Chara continued. "I mean this is not the first _timeline_ we've met in. I've fought you a hundred times before. You've killed me." Chara paused. "And I've killed you."

Undyne pulled her hand back. "I don't understand."

"Undyne, are you familiar with determination?"

She bobbed her head yes. "Alphys has told me a little about it. Something about how human souls can exist after death."

"Exactly. Not only that, though. We figured out some other properties of determination."

"Like what?"

Chara sat down at Undyne's table, motioning for her to sit down across from them. Her attention fully captivated now, Undyne slid into the seat.

"If a person has enough 'determination,' they can pull their soul back from death," said Chara.

Undyne's eyes widened. "You mean they could come back to life?"

Chara shook their head. "Not come back to life, they can rewind time to before their death took place."

"Whoa."

"And if a person is super determined, like me," Chara continued. "They could do this without needing to die."

Undyne sat with this information, hands folded in front of her face. "So what you're telling me," she said after a moment. "Is that you're a time-traveler."

"Ehhh kind of," said Chara. "It's more complicated than that but that's the basic idea."

Undyne looked over at Papyrus. "You're not a time-traveler, are you?"

Papyrus shook his head. "NO, BUT I CAN REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED IN OTHER RESETS."

Undyne looked even more confused. "Resets?"

Chara nodded. "That's what we call it when I go all the way back. The farthest back in time I can go is right after I fell into the Underground."

Undyne leaned back slightly. "This is... a lot."

Chara laughed. "You have no idea."

"UNDYNE," Papyrus cut in. "DO YOU HAVE ANY MEMORIES THAT YOU CAN'T EXPLAIN? ANY TRACE OF THE PAST RESETS?"

Undyne thought for a moment before shaking her head no.

"Interesting," said Chara. "What if I told you there was another human named Frisk? They looked a lot like me and wore a pink-and-blue striped shirt."

"No, sorry," said Undyne. "Even trying to picture that makes my head feel all foggy. But I believe you. Well, I believe that Papyrus believes you and that's enough for me. So what happens now?"

Chara thought for a moment. "I know how to get us all to the surface," they said. "You just have to listen to Papyrus and I'll take care of the rest."

Undyne nodded. "Ok. Um," she hesitated for a moment. "This is a lot. I'm still unsure whether or not I want to kill you, and I have no idea how you plan to break the barrier."

Papyrus placed a reassuring hand on Undyne's shoulder. "THE HUMAN CAN GET US TO THE SURFACE, SO THERE'S NO NEED TO KILL THEM. BREAKING THE BARRIER IS COMPLICATED BUT I KNOW THAT THEY CAN DO IT."

Undyne looked from Papyrus to Chara. "Alright, punk. I'm only trusting you because Papyrus does, but if you SCREW UP I won't hesitate to rip your soul from your body before you have a chance to time travel to safety or whatever."

Chara decided that it wasn't worth explaining to Undyne that she couldn't actually kill them, regardless of how quickly she did it. "Sounds like a deal," they said. "Papyrus, you tell her what happens next. I'll head over to Hotland."

Papyrus gave a little salute and pulled Undyne up by the arm. With that, Chara was out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr! @spacegirl-kali


	9. Final Corridor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara reaches New Home.

"KNOCK 'EM DEAD, DARLING. AND EVERYONE... THANK YOU. YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT AUDIENCE!"

The stages lights went out and Chara fell to their knees, exhausted. During Genocide Runs Chara was far stronger by the time they arrived at Mettaton Neo. They weren't used to having so little defense and such low HP during a hard battle, to the point where fighting Mettaton Ex rivaled fighting Undyne the Undying in difficulty. It took them at least 10 reloads to beat him, although Chara had lost count after the 8th try.

Chara was barely aware when Alphys entered the room, saying something about Mettaton being just a robot. After their first meeting with Alphys, Chara had decided to keep the resets a secret from her. She was so stressed out about everything that Chara worried new information on what determination was capable of would completely freak her out. They couldn't risk her doing something to screw up the Pacifist Ending.

Alphys spent the walk to New Home's entrance nervously chatting about how excited Chara must be to go home, but Chara wasn't listening. They knew what came next. Frisk had done a True Reset before Chara went on their killing spree, which meant before another Pacifist Run could be achieved Chara would have to get through a Neutral Ending. They knew that the next battle would be against their own father, and they knew that they would have to kill him.

It wasn't killing Asgore that Chara was worried about, they had done that a hundred times. No, it was fighting him that made Chara nervous. How will it feel picking up the Real Knife again? How will feel having that locket rest on their chest once more? Will Chara enjoy every blow, will they get lost in the freeing feeling of spilling blood?

A chill ran down Chara's back. Before they could even fight Asgore, they would have to face Sans in the final corridor. Weak, vulnerable, and devoid of LOVE they would have to walk in there with that same knife in their hand. Would he even be there? It's not like Chara needed to be judged to finish the run. Sans knew he only needed to show up for the final battle against Asriel for things to work. Yet something within Chara told them he would be there, waiting for them.

"I have to go. I'm sorry."

Chara had been so lost in thought that they hadn't even listened to Alphys's confession. They watched her as she scampered away, back towards the Core.

 _No turning back now,_ they thought.

It was surreal to hear their own story told back to them by the monsters of New Home as they walked. So much time had passed since they met Asriel for the first time, since they had a family, since they died. They reached their old house and made their way to their bedroom. Chara grabbed the locket and knife without hesitation. The locket felt warm in their hand. When they put it around their neck, Chara half expected to be filled with murderous rage all over again. Instead, they felt nothing. Calm. Even the knife in their hand didn't feel so threatening anymore. Chara cast a glance at Asriel's bed before walking out and continuing on.

As they walked down the house's staircase, Chara briefly wondered if there was any possibility that Asgore would recognize them when they walked into the garden. They imagined him seeing them and dropping his watering can. He would run over and scoop Chara up in a hug, crying and apologizing. Toriel would come back and together they would go find Flowey, bring him to Alphys and figure out a way to make him whole again, bring Chara's brother back.

By the time they reached the final corridor Chara's face was streaked with tears.

They stood at the entryway to the judgment hall, worry and sorrow etched onto their face. They had been dreading this part. It was the only thing standing between them and finishing the Neutral Ending. Fighting Asgore would surely be difficult physically, but Chara could handle it emotionally. No, Sans was different. He didn't need to be in that corridor, but Chara knew he was. It wasn't out of spite. Sans would be there to make sure Chara didn't screw him over one last time. Chara hated that they made him feel this angry. After hundreds of resets of turning him to dust, now all Chara wanted was for that apathetic jackass to forgive them.

They took a deep breath and wiped away their tears.

"Ok, enough stalling," Chara said to themselves. They stepped into the judgment hall. The room was so bright it made Chara squint, so cold it made them shiver. Sans was waiting in his usual spot, hands in pockets, eyes closed.

A moment of silence passed. Chara didn't step forward, Sans didn't open his eyes. It occurred to Chara that he probably had fallen asleep. They cleared their throat loudly. Sans didn't stir.

"Hey," said Chara after a moment.

"hey," replied Sans, who had not been asleep.

Chara thought about their next words very carefully before speaking. "Um, I want you to know that I'm gonna fix all of this. And I'm going to get Frisk back."

"i know."

Chara shifted awkwardly. "Are you, um, gonna judge me?"

"nah. don't really see a point."

Chara nodded and started down the long hall. They paused briefly when they reached Sans but decided there was nothing more to say.

"hey." Sans grabbed Chara's arm as they walked past. He opened his eyes finally but kept them aimed at Chara's shoes. "uh. i've been kinda hard on you. well, not really, considering you used to be a genocidal maniac. but still, i coulda been nicer to ya. i can't imagine what you've been through."

Chara looked at him in surprise. "Did Papyrus say something to you?"

Sans shook his head. "i had a lotta time to think in here, y'know? and i've just been thinkin' a lot about you."

Chara immediately looked down when they felt their face start to heat up. _He didn't mean it like that, dumbass. Stop it._

"and, y'know," Sans continued, finally opening his eyes. "i guess what i'm tryna say here is that i'm rootin' for ya, chara."

Both of them looked up and their eyes met for a moment. Chara gave him a small smile and nod; they were on the same team again.

"Thanks," said Chara. They hesitated, unsure if this was their cue to leave. "I'll, uh, see you on the other side." Chara turned to go before pausing again. _Oh, what the hell,_  they thought. _I'm already blushing._ On a whim, Chara whirled around and pulled Sans into an awkward hug, knife still in hand.

Sans laughed, returning the hug. "'s funny," he said. "i think this is the exact opposite of what usually happens in this room."

Chara laughed too as they pulled away. "I think you might be right. I personally like this better."

"trust me when i say i couldn't agree more." The two stood there for a moment, uncomfortably close after the hug.

"hey, uh," Sans said as Chara started to back away. "can i ask you a question?"

Chara's breath caught. They weren't feeling so cold anymore. "Oh, uh, yeah of course."

"what happens next?"

 _What happens next? The hell does that mean?_   "Like, after we reach the surface?"

"no, i mean right now," said Sans. "i never see this part. all i know is that asgore dies, you leave, and then come back again. why do you have to kill him just to come back and do it all over?"

"Oh." Chara shivered. They were not looking forward to the upcoming encounter with their reincarnated sibling. "Well... I don't kill Asgore. Frisk didn't either. We get... interrupted. I have to fight Asriel. The flower version of him, I mean. He's the one who kills Asgore. After I beat Flowey I can come back and, uh, fight him again I guess. It's all kind of complicated."

Sans chuckled. "everything about this is pretty complicated." He cast a glance at the door behind them. "you should probably go. barrier ain't gonna break itself."

Chara grinned and nodded, turning towards the door. When they reached it they looked back to tell Sans goodbye, but he was already gone.

"Ok," Chara said to themselves, facing the door again. "Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Calm before the storm... 
> 
> If you're wondering how Alphys wasn't aware that something was up from watching Chara on the cameras, I assumed her cameras were only staged outside and not in places like Undyne's or Papyrus's house. That and she's always kind of distracted and confused about what's going on anyway lol.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr! @spacegirl-kali


	10. You Stupid Weed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara faces Asgore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry for such a long break. After finals were over I was just too burnt out to write anything I felt proud of. But we're back!

"Human... It was nice to meet you. Goodbye."

Chara stood facing their father, shrinking in sudden fear. Fear was a feeling they were not used to, it made them shiver. They clutched the knife in their hand, silently begging it not to take over their soul. Chara felt Asgore's gaze over them, eyes unrecognizing his own child. What else could they have expected? After all the years, everything both of them had been through... Chara barely recognized themself.

They held their breath and struck first, digging the knife into Asgore's side. He took a step back but did not break composure. In return, he swung his trident at them, getting a solid hit on their torso. Chara's knees buckled and they fell to the ground, clutching their injured side. A small trickle of blood flowed from the tear in their shirt. They picked themselves back up, preparing for another strike. Asgore was a one-hit kill on the Genocide Run. This time it wouldn't be so easy.

But Chara wasn't scared anymore. Every time their knife connected with Asgore, their stomach turned. There wasn't a single part of them that was enjoying this, no trace of the murderer they once were. The only reason they could get through the fight at all was knowing that it was the only way they could get everyone to the surface.

Chara dealt the final blow, Asgore fell to his knees. He looked at the ground, defeated.

"Please... Young one... This war has gone on long enough. You have the power... Take my soul, and leave this cursed place."

*MERCY  
*Spare

"After everything I have done to hurt you... You would rather stay down here and suffer... Than live happily on the surface? Human... I promise you... For as long as you remain here... My wife and I will take care of you as best we can. We can sit in the living room, telling stories... Eating butterscotch pie... We could be like... Like a family..."

Chara braced themselves for the ring of bullets that would surround him, that would kill Asgore before their eyes. They braced themselves to see Flowey again.

...

...

_...But nobody came._

Chara was silent with shock. Asgore smiled at them and put out his hand.

"Come now, human. Help me up and I will make us something to eat while we recover from the battle," he said.

"No," said Chara, mostly to themselves. "This is all wrong."

Asgore cocked his head to the side. "Pardon?"

"Where are you, you stupid weed?" Chara shouted, looking upwards. "You're supposed to be here!"

Chara felt panic rise up in their throat. Their breath came short and far too fast. Didn't Flowey know he played the most important role in all this? Wasn't there some part of Asriel that knew he was the only one capable of being the vessel?

It had been so long since Chara had seen any version of their brother. He never showed up anymore. Not at the beginning, not after killing Asgore, not ever. But he must want this to stop, right? Why wouldn't he be here, to finally put an end to all this?

"Asriel..." They begged, quieter now. "You're supposed to be here."

Suddenly, they felt a deep, stabbing pain in their back. They look down to see a blood-soaked vine protruding from their stomach. 

"There's been a change of plans."

Asgore's eyes went wide. He reached for Chara with a shaking hand but was too weak to get off of his knees. The last thing Chara saw before blacking out was another vine wrap around his throat.

***

_*Can't move your body. Nothing happened._   
_*You struggle... Nothing happened._

Chara's eyes shot open and they immediately tried to stand up. They couldn't.

"What the hell?" Something was wrapped around their arms, legs, and torso. Something fleshy. Chara tried to focus harder in the dim lighting. Vines bound Chara to a... chair? Bed? They blinked a few times.

Operating table. They were strapped to an operating table.

"Shit," they whispered under their breath. Something had gone very, very wrong. Chara took a deep breath and tried to take inventory of their body, considering they were tied to an operating table. They expected pain in their abdomen from the stab wound but felt nothing. _Of course_ , they thought. _He must have healed me to keep me alive so I couldn't RESET._   _Ok, ok. Gonna have to reload. I'll go back to the judgment room, fill Sans in on what's happening._ They closed their eyes and focused on that save point, the weak spot in the fabric of time-space.

LOAD FAILED.

"What?" Chara said aloud. They tried again to reload.

LOAD FAILED.

"Doesn't feel so great, does it?" Said a voice from the dark. Suddenly, lights flickered on. Chara was in a creepy room full of uncomfortable looking medical equipment.

"I remember when I lost my ability to load and save. It's terrifying, being stripped of power like that."

"...Flowey?"

"The one and only!" Flowey popped up from the floor, settling himself on one of the vines restraining Chara. "I mean, in regards to this timeline at least."

"Wha-what's happening here?"

Flowey laughed that horrible, taunting laugh of his. It echoed around in Chara's head, void of her brother's true joy but just reminiscent enough of him to make their eyes water.

"Well, dear sibling, we've decided you've made enough of a mess floundering around on this run. We've had just about enough of all these RESETs mucking up the flow of time, so we're taking over from here."

Chara narrowed their eyes. "We? Who is we? And why can't I RESET?"

Flowey remained silent but his eyes drifted upwards. Chara's gaze followed, their heart dropping at what they saw. Above them hung a vaguely skull-shaped machine. Now that they were aware of it, Chara could feel heat radiating off of the metal.

"Is that...? Did you...?" Chara stammered. They squeezed their hand into a fist, desperately trying to feel their own skin. They let out a small sigh of relief. Still corporeal. Still had their soul.

"Is that the DT Extraction machine? Why yes, it is." Flowey replied. "Did we use it to take your determination? Absolutely."

Chara's eyes went wide. They searched within themself, trying to find that fire that pushed them to keep going. Instead of the usual inferno of willpower, Chara found only a tiny spark. Tears welled up in their eyes at the realization. Flowey had stripped them of the only thing they were truly proud of.

"So what the fuck do you plan to do with it, you bastard?" Chara spat.

Flowey chuckled. "Me? Nothing. They, however..." Flowey turned to the left and gestured with one of his vines. Frisk materialized before them, a threatening grin on their face.

"Howdy," mocked Frisk. "Man, do I feel great. Thanks for that little DT boost, friend. However, that's not really what I'm after here. Determination can't make me whole again. So I'm going to need that soul of yours."

"Fuck you," Chara said.

"C'mon Chara, be a good sport. Aren't you compassionate enough for that?"

Chara dug their fingernails into the armrests of the operating table. "If you want my soul you're going to have to kill me for it."

"Ugh, I wish!" Frisk threw their arms up in contempt. "If it were that easy I wouldn't have bothered keeping you alive this long. Alas, a human cannot absorb another human soul, especially if it's unwilling. It has to be given up by choice."

Chara laughed. "You think I'm just going to GIVE it to you? That's pretty fucking stupid."

Frisk drifted closer to Chara. "If you don't, we'll be locked in this stalemate forever. You can't survive for long out there without your determination. You'd have no chance of defeating Asriel and completing the Pacifist Run without it."

Flowey's grin spread across his entire face, revealing his unsettling teeth. Chara turned their attention to him.

"Asriel," they started. "Do I even need to fight you? You could come with me right now and set everyone free. It would be so easy."

Flowey wasn't smiling anymore, his expression changing to something much more sinister.

"You think I would ever do _anything_ for you? After everything you've done?" He moved closer. "I died because of your stupid plan. I LOST MY SOUL because of the things you did. When I came back as a flower you killed me over and over again. I owe you nothing."

"Asriel..." Chara felt their eyes getting wet.

"And when we were both alive," he continued. "You had your soul and everything! Yet after we fused together and went to the surface, you kept whispering to me: _kill them, kill them, kill them._  You were a bad person before. You're no better now."

"I..."

"Enough," Frisk cut in. "I couldn't care less about your stupid sibling rivalry. Chara, give me your soul. Now."

"No."

Frisk laughed. "We both know you'll give in eventually. You don't have the determination to resist me."

Chara's breath caught. They could feel their willpower diminishing by the second. They could just give in, end this useless battle right now. _But what about your friends?_ Chara gripped the armrests harder and reflected inwardly again, reaching for that tiny spark. They held onto it with everything they had, and the flame flickered brighter.

"No," they said again, firmer this time. It was the only word they could muster with that flame, but it was enough.

Frisk wasn't laughing anymore. "Jesus, you're insufferable. Give me your damn soul!"

"No."

At this, Frisk cried out in frustration. "It's MY SOUL. It was always MINE. I WANT IT BACK."

They plunged their incorporeal hand into Chara's chest, desperately grasping for purchase of the soul. Chara kept holding on, repeating that one word in their head over and over: _no, no, no._ But Frisk's determination was too much. It truly was their soul, and it was drawn to them like a magnet. _NO, NO, NO._

Chara opened their eyes. Frisk was gone. Flowey backed up, looking fearful.

"...Chara?"

Chara shook their head.

"......Frisk?"

Chara laughed a laugh that was not their own. When they spoke, they spoke in Frisk's voice. "Well, this isn't exactly what I planned, but it'll do. Flowey, could you let me up?"

The vines fell from the operating table. Frisk pushed Chara's body to stand up, rubbing their wrists.

"Now, let's go clean up this mess."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr: @spacegirl-kali


	11. A!S^R?%FHA;~CRI+K

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We take a quick break from all this drama to see what life is like on the surface.

Meanwhile, on the surface...

At the base of Mt. Ebott lies a medium-sized gray building. There are no windows and only one, heavily guarded entrance. Inside the building, there is a room with several monitors that take up the entirety of one of the walls with a small desk placed in front of them. A man is sitting at the desk, idly scrolling through his phone. This is a rather boring job, and he spends most of his days in this manner. Pays good though. Plus, the man doesn't mind the quietness of his work.

A plucky young intern enters the room. She's new enough to where the boring repetitiveness of the job hasn't degraded her enthusiasm. A name tag is affixed to the collar of the polo she's wearing, which reads "Sarah."

Sarah marches up to the desk and thoughtfully takes in the scene being displayed on the monitor above.

"Mt. Ebott really is something to look at," she says.

The man snorts. "Eh, starts out that way. When you've been here as long as I have it loses a little bit of its magic."

Sarah laughs. "Well, I should hope not! That'd be pretty bad for everyone, right?" She grins at her own joke.

"Ha," says the man at the desk, without looking up from his phone.

Sarah shifts awkwardly at the man's dismissal. "Haven't heard any alarms in a while," she says, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah," says the man. His tone has changed slightly, indicating some level of interest at the comment. "It's getting farther and farther apart. Which is either very good or very bad. Or it could honestly mean nothing."

"How so?" asks Sarah.

"Well, it can either mean one of three things," he says. "One, which is the best case scenario, they're losing hope. Not consciously, of course, but losing hope nonetheless. Might not even be fighting anymore. Two, our system is getting worn out. Which is annoying, but we've dealt with similar problems before. Or three, the human race is about to get its ass handed to it."

"Oh dear."

"Yeah, right." The man turns his attention back to his phone.

"Well, I'm making a coffee run, want anything?"

"Nah."

With that, Sarah leaves.

Back in the Underground...

Sans waited in his usual spot, hands in pockets, eyes closed. For a moment, he thought he felt a shift. A reload. But given he was half dozing, he wasn't really sure. Something in his mind felt stiff like he was forgetting something he shouldn't be. Sans tried to focus on the feeling, to pull out whatever memory was being suppressed. But nothing came of it. He must just be tired from everything. Besides, he's always remembered every RESET and every reload with perfect clarity.

All remained still until he heard the familiar tapping of human footsteps on the tile of the Final Corridor. The sound would still make his skin crawl, if he had skin. It was unsettling how even when things were so different, those footsteps still sounded the same.

"This is your last chance."

Sans opens one eye to see Chara standing at the hall's entrance.

"What?" he asked.

"This is your last chance to give up," Chara said. They seemed to be talking through Sans. "I can make this permanent. I have enough DT now. I can erase him from this very timeline. It'll be like he never existed at all."

Sans opened both eyes now, thoroughly confused.

"what are you--?"

Chara interrupted Sans with a laugh. "You really don't believe me? You think I'd waste our time with empty threats? Give it to me now!"

"what the fuck," Sans whispers under his breath.

"Fine then. Have it your way." _And don't worry,_ Frisk thought. _I'll make sure he hates you before I rip him to shreds._ They turned their attention to Sans. "Hey Sansy," said Chara in a sing-song voice. "How about you and me go at it one more time? For old time's sake. A final battle before, well, before whatever happens next."

"what? why the fuck would i want to do that? why the fuck would you want to do that?"

Instead of answering, Chara took a step forward.

Sans looked down at the knife in their hand. "don't," he pleaded softly. "please don't."

"Sorry, trashbag. I don't have a choice." They took another step forward.

"chara, what is this? is this a joke? because it ain't funny. this is a sick prank you're playing." Sans began to sweat.

Chara took another step forward. "Come on, Sans. You always strike first."

Sans's face was completely taken over by distraught. "kid, i don't--"

 _"'KID?'"_ Chara threw their head back and cackled. "Oh Sans, come on now. We both know that term of endearment isn't meant for me, bud. You know the truth."

"chara--"

"Say it, Sans."

"no, i--"

Chara took one more step forward. _"You're really kind of a freak, huh?"_

Sans's magic defensively flared up around him, erecting a protective circle of bones from the floor.

"Hm," pondered Chara. "Not really a strike, but..." Chara looked up at Sans, eyes gleaming red. _"I'll take it."_

They sliced through the air with the knife, narrowly missing Sans as he clumsily dodged the blow. He noticed there was something different about the way they struck. It was both heavier and faster, and would definitely do some serious damage on someone with more than 1 HP.

"how the hell...?" Sans asked himself. They hadn't killed anyone as far as he knew. Fuck, unless they had. He hadn't planned on judging Chara, but circumstances had changed.

_* Check-JUDGEMENT_   
_* A!S^R?%FHA;~CRI+K_   
_* ATK: ??? DEF: ???_   
_* KILLS: 0_   
_* LV: 1_   
_* Filled with DT X2_

"oh what the fuck."

"Wasting a turn with a _CHECK?"_ said Chara. "Thought you were smarter than that."

They struck again, and Sans dodged with a little more ease as he slipped back into the old routine.

"look, i don't know what's going on right now, but you're not foolin' me." He used his turn to bring up another barrier.

Chara huffed. "It's not as fun if you don't fight back."

The fear Sans felt started to boil into anger. "because i don't want to fucking hurt you! and i don't think you really want to hurt me either, so just stop!"

Chara launched into another attack, but this time right after the miss Sans turned them blue and slammed them into a wall.

"AH!" they yelled upon impact. "Caught me by surprise there. Guess an old skeleton can learn new tricks." They paused, waiting for Sans to turn them red again. "Um... Are you going to let me up? You, uh, already did the damage."

Sweat was pouring down Sans's face, eye flashing blue, as he held Chara against the wall. "we're _*huff*_ just gonna _*puff*_ keep having _*pant*_ my turn _*ahg!*_ until I figure out _*fuck!*_ what's going on!"

Chara scoffed. "We both know you're not going to last very long like that."

Sans grit his teeth and held on with everything he had.

"FRISK, FUCKING STOP IT!" The change in voice was subtle, but it was there.

"what?" Sans risked breaking his concentration to look at Chara, who was now also sweating profusely.

"NO! NOT UNLESS YOU GIVE IT BACK!"

"YOU'RE HURTING HIM!"

Sans's stamina was running out. He tried to will more magic into existence, but to no avail. Chara fell to the ground and Sans collapsed at their feet.

"Now this is just sad," they said. "I mean, I guess killing you in your sleep was kinda cheap, but this somehow still seems sadder."

Sans let out a muffled groan as he attempted to get up. He was able to wobble to his feet. He glared at Chara, hunched over in exhaustion.

"Alright. This is your final opportunity. For real this time." They raised the knife. No way Sans was going to be able to dodge any attack like this. "No? Wow, and here I thought you cared about him."

"NO! NONONONONONONONO!!!" Chara looked at Sans, once a powerful adversary, now helpless before them. Their soul ached to protect him, and just for a moment, they re-harnessed their determination. Chara pointed the knife at their own chest.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? AH, SHIT!"

_RRRRRRRRIP._

Sans was shocked into standing up straight as he took in the scene before him. Two humans were laid out on the ground. One in green and yellow, one in blue and pink.

"...chara?"

The green-shirted human lifted their head. "H-howdy."

The human in blue stirred. "Chara... What hap-p-pened?"

The two humans stared at each other.

"Sans," said Chara. "Can you see them?"

"yeah."

"Ah," replied Chara. "Frisk?"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to try and kill either of us now?"

Frisk looked at their hands. "I... I don't think I can. And I don't want to anymore. I feel..." Their eyes went wide. "I don't know what I feel."

"hang on." Sans knelt besides Chara.

_* Check-JUDGMENT_   
_* CHARA DREEMURR_   
_* ATK: 10 DEF: 10_   
_* KILLS: 0_   
_* LV: 1_   
_* Filled with determination_

"ok, well, that's normal." He crawled over to Frisk, grimacing at having to move so much after that battle.

_* Check-JUDGMENT_   
_* FRISK_   
_* ATK: 10 DEF: 10_   
_* KILLS: 0_   
_* LV: 1_   
_* Filled with determination_

"you both look normal."

Chara breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God that's over."

"heh heh, yeah," said Sans. "also what the fuck just happened."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr: @spacegirl-kali


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